Standing Together
by SamNny
Summary: Inspired by 64 Damn Prompts #2 and kind of #6. A late night "stroll" leads Yumi to Ulrich, who reluctantly decides on walking her home. Reading her like an open book, Yumi and Ulrich have no choice but to deal with what we humans like to call "emotions."


"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

The incredulous tone in his voice was countered by half-lidded eyes and the wavering hint of a yawn that he was fighting to suppress. He was far too tired to notice the slight pink twinge of her cheeks as she stared at him clad in nothing but his plain, blue boxers and a loose fitting grey tank top. She finally tore her eyes away from his frame long enough to utter something along the lines of, "Yeah?" Moving slightly so she could see around him, she squinted to see the glowing digits on his and Odd's shared alarm clock.

"It's a little after two in the morning. 2:07, if you want to be precise."

Trying to will the sleep away from him by blinking, Ulrich groaned slightly as he used the doorframe for support. He'd spent the whole evening after dinner with Aelita and Jeremy after begging them all morning to help him study for an upcoming test. Jeremy reluctantly agreed after much prodding from their small, pink-haired friend, and he made sure to give Ulrich a good, firm, "be careful what you wish for" lecture. His time with them had been well worth it, he'd hoped, but it had absolutely drained him of all of his energy. Even long days of soccer practice couldn't compete with what he'd been through!

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Ulrich rubbed his eyes with one hand as he followed her previous gaze to his desk. "Good, now that we're both sure you can tell time, mind telling me what you're doing here?" Rolling her eyes in an exaggerated manner, Yumi fiddled with the hem of her sweater before suddenly finding her shoes to be very interesting. She had snuck all the way from her house into the boys' dormitory without being noticed only to be greeted with... _this_. This disheveled, half-dressed, muscular, and quite _exhausted_-looking young man. All of her previous confidence and playfulness was vanishing before her eyes and all she could do was feel... Well, for lack of a better word, she felt bad.

"Well," she started, still trying to roll with everything she had thought of on the way over here. Why, _why_ couldn't he have just been normal? On any other night, Ulrich would have still been awake due to Odd's night owl-ish behavior. However, borderline obnoxious snores from behind the door told her that even he had fallen asleep before four o'clock in the morning. "Honestly, I was having trouble sleeping. Things have been pretty tense with my parents lately, trying to figure out what to do with my Grandma and all, and I just figured I'd get out for awhile."

While she wasn't technically lying - her parents _were_ a little on edge about what do with her aging and alone Grandmother - that was hardly the reason for her visit. Truthfully, Yumi just wanted the familiar company of her best friend and not-so-secret crush. "I've had a lot on my mind," Yumi went to move some hair out of her face as she went to lower her voice a bit. After all, she was blatantly standing in the middle of the hallway, in a building she wasn't even supposed to be in. Especially not at this hour, she added. "So I just figured I'd get some fresh air."

While the thought of Yumi wandering around at this ungodly hour made him feel uneasy, Ulrich nodded a bit sympathetically at her. How many times had he gone off alone on the school grounds at equally unsettling hours when he needed to cool off? It would be hypocritical of him to say anything, especially when he knew that she knew he did it. Why even bother?

"As understandable as that is, Yumi," Ulrich said as he had finally awoken enough to support himself, "it doesn't explain what you're doing here."

Folding his arms over his chest, Ulrich watched as Yumi fidgeted a bit, her eyes looking everywhere but at him, and it bothered him all the more. This was not like her at all. She was always so straightforward and sure about everything, so why did she look so flustered and... and... and weird!

Yumi took notice of his stance and quickly tried to right herself. Even she knew that she was being ridiculous. Was it so bad to tell him that she had just wanted his company? That she had wanted someone to talk to about what was _really _going on? She could have turned to any one of her friends, but she sought out Ulrich's companionship the most. While Aelita would probably be better suited for giving her advice, she had nowhere near the same calming effect on her as Ulrich. Though, admittedly, right now he was making her feel anything but calm.

Realizing that he wasn't going to get her to say anything (she wouldn't even look at him), the brunette mumbled some words under his breath as he yawned again before turning and slightly closing his door. He hadn't shut it all the way, leaving Yumi to assume he would come back out. And in just a minute or two, he did, although now he was fully dressed. He donned a pair of dark blue jeans, the ones with the gaping hole in the left knee, a plain pair of brown boots, and a forest-green hoodie with an emblem on the right sleeve that she didn't recognize.

He shut the door behind him, mindful to fiddle with something in his pocket before he heard the '_click_' of the lock. She assumed he was making sure he had his room key, lest he have to find some impossible way to wake Odd from his slumber to let him in without disturbing the other students. He yawned again as he started walking towards the stairwell, keeping an eye out for anyone, especially Jim, so as to not be caught leaving. When he saw that the coast was clear, he snapped his head back in Yumi's direction. "Coming?"

His question only then made her realize that he was going to walk with her. Knowing him as well as she does, she knew he was going to walk her back home. It was a classic Ulrich move. Still, she nodded at him before slowly making her way to his side. They descended the stairs in the utmost silence, both teenagers on alert for other signs of human life. Once they exited the building, they made a quick dash to the front gate of the school, not surprisingly finding it locked. They both jumped the gate with ease and began the relatively long-ish walk back to the Ishiyama residence.

"So," Ulrich started, hands shoved into his pockets for warmth, "What's the real reason you came over?"

Yumi came to an immediate halt as she finally made eye contact with the boy. How had he seen through her so easily?

"What do you mean?" Of course she knew what he meant, but she had at least wanted to _try_ and pretend that she was innocent. Ulrich had always been pretty frank and to-the-point, but she had at least wished that he had waited a few more blocks before he started to interrogate her. She was still getting her bearings, after all.

Smirking and raising an eyebrow to her, he wasted no time giving her a response. "Come on, Yumi. I know you wouldn't risk getting in this much trouble over something as trivial as your parents fighting. After all their quarrelling about you guys moving back to Japan, I find it hard to believe them fussing over your Grandma is keeping you from sleeping."

Averting her eyes again, Yumi knew she had been busted. She knew the moment she said it, that it was a lame excuse to go see him, but it was the only thing that wasn't the truth that seemed to make sense. So she smiled slightly, sighing as she admitted her own defeat. She started walking again and he moved to keep pace with her. Things were quiet for about a block before she said, "Truth?"

Chuckling slightly, Ulrich rolled his eyes as she had done earlier, and said, "No, I want you to lie to me. Of course I want the truth."

His snarky comment earned him a punch to his right arm and a smile from the black-haired beauty to his left. It was moments like these that he treasured the most. While he found that he loved all of his friends and their company, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed having Yumi by his side the most. Both on and off the battlefield.

Rounding a few corners, the duo was halfway back to Yumi's house. If there was ever a time when she wished she lived _farther _away, it would be now. She unconsciously slowed her walking just a bit in an attempt to make their meeting last longer. If Ulrich had noticed, he didn't say anything; he only slowed enough to stand beside her. He would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying this. Granted, it was coming at the expense of his much needed sleep and the promise of an exam in only a few short hours, but... it was worth it.

Shoving her hands in her pants pockets to match her brown-eyed companion, Yumi took a deep breath before beginning her dreaded speech. "O.K., well..." She dared to cast a glance in his direction, seeing the passive and patient look on his face as a sign to continue. "I just feel like things are getting really crazy all of a sudden. One minute, it feels like we're so close to beating X.A.N.A. and being able to shut down the super-computer, and the next, it feels like we're barely getting by. Every time Jim or Ms. Hertz - or _any _of our teachers, really - looks at me, I feel as if they know, someway, somehow, about us and Lyoko and it's driving me crazy! It makes me wonder how much longer we're going to be able to feed them excuses, or how many more times a return to the past will wipe their memories."

"I always find myself thinking, '_What if it doesn't work this time?_' or '_What do I do if they don't believe me?_' Things like that. And then William - _God_, William. He's so persistent! Ever since he found out about Lyoko and what we do there, he just _won't _let it go. I mean, I think he would be helpful to us and all, but since the group hasn't welcomed him yet, he's done nothing but _cry _about it. He talks like we _owe _it to him to make him a Lyoko Warrior! Can you believe that?"

Cringing at the mention of the boy, Ulrich could only narrow his eyes and keep his mouth shut. Yumi knew how much they loathed each other, but what she didn't know is _why_. Which is actually part of the reason she came to see him.

"I think the biggest thing that's been bothering me, though, is us." Ulrich froze in tracks, wondering how the Hell this conversation went from Lyoko and William to... well, to _them._

"What do you mean 'us'?" The guarded look in his eyes told Yumi to tread lightly. If he didn't like what she had to say, he would promptly _drag_ her the rest of the way home and storm off back to the dorms. She knew how much he hated anything that had to do with revealing feelings and emotions, but _damn _she was getting tired of this. No matter how much she liked William, she knew that she felt even stronger for Ulrich. But with how crazy everything was getting, she wanted to know who was going to be standing by her side at the end of every day. She'd much rather it be him.

"'Us' as in you and me. Ulrich, don't get so defensive before I even have a chance to explain myself. I didn't come over to lure you into some sort of emotional trap. You asked me what was on my mind and I'm telling you."

She watched his face contort with a whole different mix of emotions. She could tell that he was debating on whether or not to ignore her prodding or relax into their conversation. When it looked like the latter was winning, she sighed in relief before continuing.

"You and I have been friends for a long time, Ulrich, and out of all of our friends, you're the one I'm closest to." Seeing the calm look on his face as he slowly nodded at her gave her the assurance she needed to go on.

"Whenever we get put into tough spots, I always know that you'll have my back. Lyoko or no Lyoko, you've always looked out for me and I've always tried to look out for you." Again, he nodded. "It's that kind of thing that's always made me appreciative of you."

"Ever since William showed up, though, you haven't exactly been the same. I don't really understand why you guys hate each other so much. Yeah, William's confessed to me, and it's _painfully _obvious that he likes me, but-"

Yumi was instantly cut off by Ulrich's fists clenching and his sharp bark of, "_Youdon'tunderstand?_"

She hadn't anticipated such a harsh reaction from him, and she was quite aggravated that he was cutting her of before she had even really _begun _talking to him, but she decided not to say anything to his remark. Although it wasn't her strong suit, Yumi decided to let him continue talking on his own.

"Is that what you brought me out here for? To tell me that after everything we've been through, you don't understand why I hate that guy? Well let me tell you something, that is just _bull_! You know damn well why I can't stand him."

Now it was her turn to snap back at him. Turning sharply to face him, Yumi fisted part of his jacket, grip tightening on him as if she were afraid he'd bolt like a scared rabbit, while she locked eyes with him. "Well, clearly I _don't_ understand! Why don't you explain it to me!"

It was more of a statement or demand rather than a question. Ulrich didn't like where this conversation was going at all and he wanted nothing more than to tear away from her and turn around. They were only about two blocks from her house now, so he wouldn't feel _too _bad about leaving her on her own. Still, he couldn't bring himself to fight her, so he instead opted for whipping his head to the side and lowering his voice so as not to wake anyone up. The last thing either of them needed was a disgruntled neighbor catching them and getting them into trouble.

"Why are we talking about this _now_?" He practically whispered, his voice breaking slightly. It wasn't so much that he was on the verge of tears, or anything of the sort, but the whole turn of events seemed to be exhausting him all over again. Why did she have to talk about this now, at damn near three in the morning, the same morning as this big test he was supposed to take? Being silently honest with himself, though, he knew there was never a good time to talk about it. Talking about it meant dealing with it, and dealing with it meant accepting that he might lose her to William, and losing her to William would always crush him. Always.

Huffing in annoyance, Yumi loosened her hold on his jacket, safely deciding that he wasn't going run away from her anymore. She used her other hand to gently pull his hand out of his pocket and cradle it in her own. No matter how he was making her feel, the feeling of his hand on any part of her skin was soothing. Inhaling sharply, Yumi let the cool early morning air coat her lungs before she exhaled slowly. This was going to be the really hard part.

"We're talking about it now because we were both too dumb to talk about it before. Honestly, we should have had this conversation way before William even came into the picture." She started, trying to get him to meet her gaze. It wasn't working. "Ulrich," She dropped her stare to the zipper of his jacket as she continued. "I just want to know where we stand. Everything that's going on with Lyoko means our whole world could fall apart at any moment. We don't like to admit it, but all of us are in very _real _danger every time X.A.N.A. attacks. Things are only going to get harder from here."

"I want to know who I have by my side in our world. Not just my friends, like Aelita, and Jeremy, and Odd, but as my _not _friends. My more than friends." Yumi was blushing furiously now, not noticing the red painted on Ulrich's face as well. He wished he could blame his discoloration on the chilling morning air, but it would be a lie. It wasn't that cold yet.

"I guess I'm just tired of playing games, you know? If we lose this fight tomorrow and X.A.N.A. wins, then I'd like to know who to run to. Who to spend my time with and hold onto. William's already made it more than clear that he'd like to be that person, but... I'd really like for that person to be you. Ulrich?"

Ulrich's eyes were wide, practically bulging out of head, and his face was so vibrantly red. He'd been wanting to hear words like that from Yumi for forever, but now that she had actually spoken up, he had no idea what to say. '_Thank you?_' '_Me too?_' '_The feeling is mutual?_'

He wasn't an emotionless idiot; he knew saying something as stupid and... _worthless_ as that would only be insulting to everything she had just said. Yumi had just poured her heart out to him, stopping only short of saying '_I love you, stupid!_' and he couldn't dare say anything less meaningful than what she had said. Still, it wasn't like he'd had as much time to prepare for this conversation as she had, given that she had _planned it all along_. She didn't lure him into an emotional trap his ass! That's exactly what this was!

Breathing deeply to calm himself, Ulrich forced his body to relax. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and just emptied his mind. He would accomplish _nothing _by over-thinking the situation. As many times as he and Yumi had kind of, sort of, but not really talked about this, he knew how disastrously things got when he wasn't thinking clearly.

He forced his brain to think of only things he knew to be true in this very moment.

1. _Yumi had been completely honest with him._

2. _The feeling of her hand still holding his was one of the only things keeping him grounded._

3. _She looked breathtaking standing before him with a blush that marveled her light pink sweater._

4. _She had pretty much admitted that he was better than William._

5. _He'd loved her longer than either of them could remember._

Moving slowly so as not to startle her, Ulrich let go of her hand and gently pulled her other one away from his jacket. He took two steps towards her and did something Yumi would not have expected at all. He circled one hand around her waist, pulling her closer to his body, and wrapped the other one around back, securing her in place. Her being slightly taller than him gave him easy access to nuzzling his face in her neck. This accomplished two things: First of all, he was closer to her than he ever dreamed possible and it felt so _good_. Second, it prevented her from seeing his face, which was all but crimson and horrifying to look at (it might really pop at any moment).

Although Yumi had initially stiffened at the contact, her whole body melted into his as she just barely heard him mumble, "_I love you_."

Those three little words sent her whole world spinning and she was silently grateful that Ulrich had such a tight hold on her, lest she fall to her knees and embarrass herself. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, almost afraid that he would take off running now that he had said something so revealing. He made no move to do so, though, and all she could do in response was smile and rest her head on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Ulrich groaned as he walked out of Ms. Hertz's classroom later that morning. All of that time he had put in with Jeremy and Aelita studying the other day seemed completely wasted. The test might as well have been written in Latin! Resigning himself to accept his utter failure, he was greeted with the smiling faces of all of his friends waiting out in the courtyard. Everything had seemed perfectly normal, except the unusually large grin threatening to split Odd's face in two. However, before he could be confronted on the matter, Principal Delmas made his way over to their group.<p>

"Miss Ishiyama, Mr. Stern, I need to have a word with both of you in my office. _Now_."

Both Ulrich and Yumi paled, instantly knowing what this was about. They immediately knew that while they hadn't been caught by any _person_ last night, they had completely failed to avoid the school security cameras. This was going to be _so hard _to explain.

As both students walked away with the principal, Ulrich turned to shoot a worried glance at everyone else, but widened his eyes at the even bigger grin and thumbs up from Odd.

_He freaking knew_.

* * *

><p>"AN: Ohmygosh! This is the first fanfiction I've written in _ages _and it was a Code Lyoko one. I've been dying to write for this fandom ever since I finished the series forever ago (not Evolution). Yumi and Ulrich are my OTP. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. Hopefully I'll stop being lazy and write more for these two in the future."


End file.
